When Katie Wilkinson curled in a sumptuous fourth goal, a free-kick that arched into the top corner, Leanne Crichton launched her water bottle in the air and embraced her bench with gusto.
“If you can’t celebrate Old Firm goals I don’t know what in the world you can celebrate,” she laughed afterwards.
It was the goal that effectively clinched the points, although by that stage Celtic were already in free-fall. Having kept their finger on the self-destruct button throughout the afternoon, they were significant architects of their own downfall in an error strew game where they continually allowed their opponents to take the upperhand.
Having got themselves ahead early in the game when Maria McAneny headed them in front, they dozed off defensively. Jodi McLeary deservedly took the player of the match award for a fine display throughout but Celtic will watched her leveller back and question why a player of her quality was given so much time and space to volley in at the back post.
Minutes later she gave Rangers the lead when Celtic’s dithering in possession deep inside their own half gifted the ball to Calliste Brookshire – whose pace spooked them the whole game – before McLeary calmly slotted home.
Celtic levelled after the break when Chloe Arthur poked home a loose ball in the six-yard box as Rangers failed to clear a corner. It was the last that Celtic had cause to cheer.
Within minutes Arthur was culpable as she passed the ball, just outside the box, straight to the feet of Nicola Docherty. She supplied Hannah Blake, on the pitch a matter of seconds, as she ran at Celtic before swiftly slotting the ball low into the net.
Celtic capitulated. Wilkinson netted the fourth via a beautifully executed free-kick and within two minutes Brookshire got a goal her performance deserved when she added the fifth. It rounded off an afternoon when their emphatic win was all the more impressive for coming on the back of a midweek trip to Sweden where they faced the finalists of last season’s Europa Cup.
“I am really proud of the players,” said Crichton. “We could have probably scored more.
“It was really pleasing and the second-half felt like a whirlwind but we were ruthless.
“It is a strong win and it does send a message but nothing is won or lost at this time of the season.
“There are loads of games ahead of us but there is a belief in the squad. We have started well. I feel like I have been in this job a lot longer than 14 months. We have done so much work and we are so much further ahead now than where we were this time a year ago. The challenge is to make sure that we stay there and sustain the kind of form that we have shown.”
It was a first league defeat of the season for Celtic with Grant Scott accepting culpability with his tactics and starting line-ups. Celtic have beaten Rangers only once in the last 13 meetings between the sides. It is unlikely that yesterday’s defeat will help with the psychological impact of that.
“It is a punch on the nose for now,” said Scott. “We can’t get despondent about it.
“It is a new squad. We are trying to develop them but we have to study this back, take our medicine and our learnings but it is three points and there is a long season to go.
“I accept my own part of it. I probably have to hold my hands up and say I got the tactics wrong.”
Elsewhere, Glasgow City left it late to rescue a point against Hearts after Andy Thomson’s side had gone into a 2-0 lead with two goals in two minutes gave the Petershill side a point.
Hibs beat Aberdeen 2-0 and Partick Thistle beat Montrose 3-2. Motherwell were on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline at home to Spartans.
Share